Terrorism Hate and Bullying
Rafik Baladi, July 10, 2012: :
“...ism-ing and ...fy-ing” terror, horror has become a political
means of framing my mind and narrowing its perception of other trends of
injustices in our daily life, such as bullying. For a while, I thought it had
become a mere journalistic jargon that overlooks and trivializes other forms
of social cruelty that haunt our societies, including my own experience with
corporate bullying.
Hence,
I feel alienated each time I turn into a casualty of routine daily violence; be
it by means of corporate bullying, isolation, mind control, credit manipulation
or a simple act of assault in a parking lot, a shopping mall or, even, by some
super-market’s grouchy cashier or buyer. And the reason behind my sense of
alienation is, in many cases, due to the hurtful reality that such cruel actions
that mar our days do not receive equitable media coverage, driven by sensationalism, as with a case of a
typical painful bombing attack or a devastating political or religious vendetta
that is executed through fire, nails and bolts. In fact, I would lose my social
rights because I do not dare seek compensation for these injustices amidst my
nonchalant workplace managers or because the media’s budget does not support
equitable retribution of the perpetrators of such social injustices; even more,
they (my social rights) dwindle because of the indifference of some government or
non-government institution to anything but suicide bombing, floods and others...
That is what I thought. So my self-esteem, unconsciously, shuts down and I loathe
the bombers that not only killed themselves, massacred
the innocent and devastated their families but also turned the spotlights
on injustice, away from me and from my hurtful daily work-stage and that
of my life-time work colleagues.
Across
the years, I had witnessed countless stories of social alienation that touched
me because of colour, accent, looks, state of mind, “unwanted manners or
mannerism” or because of the loss of several dear ones only because the health
providers followed their so called “books and restricted resources” or whatever
sort of conscious idiocy that was not “... ismed or ...fyed, journalistically,
just as terror and horror are”. In simple language, it was not counted as
terrorism, nonchalance, bullying or horrifying circumstances.
For
example, I recently witnessed friends on the corporate workforce turned
into targets of corporate injustice by a few brutes who broke my heart while
I witnessed the incessant hurtful and tragic office tactics, inflicted on their
suffering prey- (my friends on the workforce). And this covered the
whole spectrum of mind games, control, rivalry, teaming-up and indifference
to violence. At first, I sensed my friends’ grief with corporate isolation but stood
still. When two of them, broke down and gave-in to depression and loss of
benefits, I finally spoke up but was soon turned to another target of equal bullying
and, eventually, lost my job, bed-ridden with abdominal pain, anxiety, nausea
and depression, while gaining my soul. Thank God.
And
then, unexpectedly, many months later, I found my self in real hell. I was in
Egypt and witnessed painful stories of tragedies and bombings that started with
the bombing of the congregation of the All Saints Church of Alexandria (Egypt),
in December 2010 during its celebration of the Christian New Year of 2011. I
stood still and numb, yet again (just as I did, earlier, before I opened my big
mouth, at work, to help colleagues of mine who were bullied).
Downtown Ptolomaic Alexandria
Not
far after the bombing tragedy of the All Saints Cathedral of Alexandria (Egypt)
in December 2010, a series of other bombings assaulted other targets in the
homeland; these bombs hit Egypt’s police force, Supreme Court, more churches,
hotels, cultural centres, hospitals and social clubs. No mosques were reported bombed
in Egypt, then or now. And bereaved families and work colleagues of victims of these
bombings, waited for answers! No one gave it to them. Today, a new, allegedly,
elected party took over the rule in Egypt, a religious party; a Muslim party. And
the new religious party stood still. I sensed insensitivity and nonchalance in
this new party’s attitude towards the bereaved families and friends and towards
the apprehensions of other Egyptians and fellow Christians. And the grieving
families and employees of other casualties of bombings waited and waited and
waited for explanations, till today on July 9, 2012. And so did I, helplessly and dumbfounded! Have a preview and order: Jasmines from Egypt Branches Forever or ask for it at your bookstore.
But
guess what? Tens of thousands of Muslim Egyptians walked side by side their
grieving fellow Christians in horror and genuine support. They were the people
and not the leaders. Thank God, again! (And so did moderate, wise and literate
liberal media condemn the violence!) But there were millions who shouted in
favour of the new Muslim party and vowed not to stop till it (the new party)
acquired power. They never asked the new party for promises to soothe the
stricken Christians, their apprehensions and their demolishing churches!
So
when will this stop? When will the passive witnessing (by individuals,
corporations, labour organizations, governments and petty worldwide
hypocritical politics); when will these passive witnesses of violence or
killing, by a few, start speaking? When will they take a stand? And why do we
sense espionage and treason in the midst of this ambiguous attitude of the so called
corporation leaders and world-leaders, around Egypt, these days?
One of the Holy Family Shelters in Cairo (Matareya) Suburb
And
now, after almost one and a half years of waiting, following the Alexandria
massacre of December 2010 and three years since I lost my job because I dared
to speak, here is the question: What does terrorism, cover? ...Really! What has
become of us? Where will human conflict and social intolerance lead us to? And
what is the use of condemning violence if we do not track its indicators
and quell its origins? In my case, what is the code of ethics that governments
and their labour agencies abide by to defend their image and enforce their
declared values? And in the case of social hatred, bombing and intolerance, how
many more centuries of hurt do we have to sustain until some superpower with
leadership ceases to trivialize casualties of hate, instead of wasting their time
seeking to accumulate more power and wealth, at the expense of the very helpless casualties
of hate?
Until
soon, thank you for your readership...
Rafik Baladi
Trilance Film Music
Please read my blogs:
Egypt Mon Amour
Terrorism Hate and Bullying
Obama Clinton Tactics for Egypt
Please read my book. Check this short overture to the book:
Jasmines from Egypt Branches Forever
Trilance Film Music
Please read my blogs:
Egypt Mon Amour
Terrorism Hate and Bullying
Obama Clinton Tactics for Egypt
Please read my book. Check this short overture to the book:
Jasmines from Egypt Branches Forever
